Texas State receives multiple Sun Belt awards, five named to all-conference teams

Texas State freshman setter Emily DeWalt was named Sun Belt Setter of the Year and Freshman of the Year, while head coach Karen Chisum received the conference Coach of the Year award, the Sun Belt announced on Tuesday. 

Senior middle blocker Madison Daigle, junior outside hitter/setter Cheyenne Huskey, freshman outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald and DeWalt were named to All-Sun Belt first team. Senior outside hitter Amy Pflughaupt was named to the All-Sun Belt second team. 

This is the second consecutive season where Texas State has led the Sun Belt with four first-team selections, five overall all-team selections and three speciality award winners. The four first-team honorees and three specialty award winners tied school records last year.  

DeWalt is the fifth player to win a Sun Belt specialty award since Texas State joined the conference in 2013. She’s the third Bobcat to be named setter of the year alongside Erin Hoppe in 2017 and Krystal Kolkhorst-Moy in 2004. DeWalt broke the all-time Sun Belt record with 11 player of the week awards, including six setter of the week awards and five freshman of the week accolades. She was the first player to be named AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 2.

DeWalt leads the conference with 652 assists during Sun Belt play and has 1,130 assists this year. 

This is Chisum’s first Sun Belt Coach of the Year award and sixth time during her career to receive a conference coach of the year honor.

Daigle earns first-team All-Sun Belt status after finishing the regular season fourth in hitting percentage at .356, sixth in blocks at 1.09 and finished with a .406 hitting percentage during conference play. The Baton Rouge native is fourth on the team in kills per set with 2.43. She’s also recorded 68 digs, 16 assists and 15 aces. This is the second straight season where Daigle has been named to the first-team all-conference team.

Huskey, who transferred from Florida, made the move from setter to outside hitter early in the 2018 campaign. She receives All-Sun Belt first team honors after tallying 306 kills and 2.97 kills per set. Huskey has amassed 189 digs, 66 blocks, 52 assists and 25 aces. 

Fitzgerald earns the All-Sun Belt first team accolade after ranking second on the team and seventh in the conference in kills per set at 2,96. She has the sixth-best hitting percentage during Sun Belt competition at .347. The Mansfield native has 57 blocks, 51 digs and five assists this season.

Pflughaupt is the lone Bobcat on the All-Sun Belt second team. She amassed 289 kills and ranks ninth in the conference with 2.92 kills per set. Pflughaupt tallied 118 digs, 34 blocks, 11 assists and one ace this year.

Joining the four Bobcats on the All-Sun Belt First Team are Appalachian State junior outside hitter Emma Longley and senior setter Becky Porter, Little Rock senior middle blocker Veronica Marin, Arkansas State senior outside hitter Carlisa May, Coastal Carolina senior defensive specialist Sydney Alvis, sophomore outside hitter Kyla Manning, freshman outside hitter Anett Nemeth and UT Arlington junior middle blocker Madison Hill.

Alongside Pflughaupt on the all-conference second team are Appalachian sophomore defensive specialist Emma Reilly and sophomore middle blocker Kara Spicer, Little Rock junior middle hitter Carol Barbosa, Arkansas State senior setter Ellie Watkins, Georgia Southern senior middle hitter Lauren Reichard, Louisiana senior outside hitter Hanna Rovira and outside hitter Hali Wisnoskie, South Alabama junior middle blocker Kelley Hartman, Troy sophomore outside hitter Cheyenne Hayes, and UTA Arlington senior middle blocker Zhanelle Geathers and junior outside hitter Kylie Jedlicka.

Marin was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year. May was named the Offensive Player of the Year. Alvis was named the Defensive Player of the Year. 

Texas State (24-6, 15-1 Sun Belt) begins its run in the Sun Belt tournament on Nov. 17 in Atlanta. As the No. 1 seed in the tournament, the Bobcats a double bye and will begin play in the semifinal round.